Former Beverly Hills employee arrested earlier this week

A former city of Beverly Hills employee was arrested on July 10 for allegedly failing to collect lease payments from a city tenant over a three-year period, according to Beverly Hills police.

Brenda Lavender, the city’s former real estate and property manager, was responsible for the oversight and collection of monthly lease payments from city-owned properties, according to a Beverly Hills Police Department news release. She “intentionally failed to report to the city” that a city tenant owed more than $800,000 in lease payments between 2012 and 2015, police said. Beverly Hills police Lt. Elisabeth Albanese said the tenant was House of Music and Entertainment, 430 N. Camden Drive.

Therese Kosterman, the city’s public information manager, said staff in the city’s finance division raised concerns about lease payments from the property in December 2015. Police conducted an investigation, eventually charging Lavender with two felonies, including failure to collect lease payments.

Police also said that Lavender allegedly committed another felony, perjury by declaration, by failing to report a $15,000 loan she received from another tenant while she was working for the city. Kosterman said an embezzlement charge had been added.

Bail for Lavender was set at $50,000. She will be arraigned on Sept. 5 in the Criminal Courts Building in downtown Los Angeles.

Police said the investigation “pointed to a need for the property management operation to be reorganized in order to create the appropriate oversight and accountability.”

The city of Beverly Hills’ property management has been divided among its Administrative Services, Policy and Management and Public Works departments, police said. The city will also hire an internal auditor to monitor its operations.